Be An Open Book.

There are three ways to get to know what a book is all about.  Look at the cover only and form a conclusion based upon no factual information.  Read the tease on the inside, or back, cover and form a conclusion based upon rumor or gossip.  Read the entire book, beginning page to ending page, and form a conclusion on every point of factual information.

As a species, humans are comfortable when they can label each other.  That way, they can place an individual into a box or file folder, and know how to deal with them without stress.  It is also a form of protection; you know who is just like you, and who to be cautious of because they are different from you. This is what happens when only the person’s outward appearance is looked at, what is “heard” about this person, or garner facts by speaking, and getting to know, someone.

In cooking and baking, the same kind of “judgments” can be made.  Does the food look appetizing?  Many, if the answer is no, will not try the dish.  The same happens if only a little knowledge is known about the ingredients.  Who wants to put something into the mouth, only to spit it out again, and no one looks graceful doing that.  But, as I have stated before, life is an adventure, fear is the mind killer, and sometimes you just have to take the plunge.

Take, for example, the recipe I am about to give you, Mint Balls.  It is a small round cookie, very plain on the outside, but inside it is packed with mint and chocolate.  Sort of like Doctor Who and his Tardis; it looks like a small police call box, but inside it is immense.

Mint and chocolate are an enticing combination of coolness and rich decadence.  Remember the commercials for York Peppermint Patties, where someone bites into a patty and goes into another dimension of sorts.  This combination is not a 20^th century creation, but dates back to the 16^th century.  European explorers returned from the “new world” with cacao beans which were used to make a beverage by the indigenous people.  However, the drink was very bitter, so spices and herbs, one being mint, were added to make it more palpable.

The York Peppermint Pattie originated in 1940 at the York Cone Company, York, Pennsylvania, owned by Henry Kessler.  The concept developed due to consumers requesting a softer type of mint candy, but how to keep it from melting into a gooey mess.  The peppermint mixture was given a granular texture, then covered in a thick coating of dark chocolate.  Kessler’s company was eventually bought out by the Hershey Chocolate Company, Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1988.

A rival candy to the Pattie was Junior Mints, developed in 1949 at the James O. Welch Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The idea was to make a peppermint patty that could be eaten in one bite, and had a creamier texture inside.

Other popular brands you may have tried, or simply heard about, are: Andes Candies, After Eight, Ghirardelli Squares, Lindt Balls, Dove and Palmer’s.  Ghirardelli, Lindt and Palmer’s also make peppermint bark which only comes out for the winter holidays.  So, if you do not have a clue as to what gift I will be expecting, you will not go wrong with peppermint chocolate candy.

Now here is the recipe for Mint Balls that I mentioned earlier on.  By the way, this recipe appeared in the Food for Friends cookbook, published 1995 by The Friends of The State Museum of Pennsylvania.  It was created to raise monies for the support of the museum, and my recipe was recreated during a PBS special about the museum, and the cookbook.

Happy Holidays!

 

Mint Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

3 dozen “Junior Mints” candies

Preparation:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract; slowly add the flour and salt to the creamed mixture.  Cover and chill till the batter becomes firm, but manageable.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Take the batter by teaspoon, place a candy mint in the center, and form a ball around it.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet (Air Bake is the best for baking), and continue forming balls.

Bake for 10-12 minutes; cookies will be lightly browned.

Let cool; can be eaten as is, or rolled in confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 36 cookies.

Note: before baking, the balls can be rolled in crushed nuts; and if you are seeing the pun, then have a great laugh.

Mary Cokenour

 

An American Culinary Blunder.

 

 

Candy Cane Fudge, Chocolate Mint Fudge, Divinity Candy

From experience, coming up with recipes in the mind, figuring out ingredients and putting it all together can be either delicious success, or “what the heck was I thinking!” failure.  However, once in a great while, a recipe seeming to go wrong ends up creating an amazing yummy mistake.

Take, for example, the origin of the smoothly decadent candy known as Fudge.  When someone exclaims “oh fudge it!”, the word fudge is substituted for the naughty “f” word.  The term “fudged” refers to the failure to successfully complete a goal, the act of cheating, or substituting something that eventually completes a goal, just not the way originally intended.

Fudge is a completely American mistake from the 19^th century.  While its origin seems to have occurred in the 1880s, the name of the confectioner who made the mistake is not known.  However, he, somehow it was known he was a he, was attempting to cook up a batch of French style caramels to sell for Valentine’s Day.  However, he ended up overcooking the ingredients which resulted with a smooth creamy confection that became known as fudge.  Why the name fudge?  Cause he fudged it! (insert canned laughter, and snorting equal to a face palm)

One of the earliest written accounts of making fudge was from Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York.  In 1886, she cooked up 30 pounds to be sold at a college auction.  Later on, it became a trend for women attending college to cook up pots of this sweet treat, in their dorm rooms, whether rules allowed or forbade, it did not matter.

By the 20^th century, fudge had become so popular that the recipes were being shared overseas in countries like England, Scotland, Wales and even France. Of course, since it was a mistake in crafting French caramels that created fudge, the French call the two confections, “cousins”.

So, how exactly is fudge made? Fudge is made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and added flavorings, the most popular being chocolate.  The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals. The result is creamy and smooth semi-soft, yet dense, texture, but a hint of sugar crystals is not a bad thing. After cooling, it is usually cut into slabs or bite-size squares.  While boiling, no matter how much you want to, do not stir the mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage.  Otherwise, it will become a grainy mess of crystallized sugar.

Making fudge from scratch is a time-long process, so, of course, dessert companies, and home cooks, came up with easier ways. Three brand name companies, Carnation, Nestle and Eagle Brand simplified fudge making by introducing sweetened condensed milk into their recipes. Only trial and error will tell you which recipe is good, better and best. 

Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Crème has a recipe on the jar label for fudge, so it is not just for making the classic “fluffernutter” sandwich.  The original recipe for “Fantasy Fudge” contains walnuts, but another nut can be used, or leave them out altogether.  Use the recipe as a basic guide and experiment with other types of add-ins.

Fantasy Fudge

Ingredients:

3 cups white sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

⅔ cup evaporated milk

1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Gather all ingredients.

Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Mix sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Stir in marshmallow creme until incorporated. Mix in walnuts and vanilla.

Transfer fudge to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread out and flatten.

Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Yield: 3 pounds.

Luckily, if candy making is not your thing, fudge is offered, for sale, in various candy shops across the nation, and Utah is no exception.  A few retailers that offer online sales: Wasatch Fudge, Fudge Co., Brittles & Fudge, Startup Candy Company, Fernwood Candy, and the list goes on.  If you live in an area that has an authentic candy shoppe, and most specially creates their own inhouse, then consider yourselves very blessed in the sweet tooth department.

Now what candy is called fudge, is not a fudge at all, but its taste as been likened to the divine?  Divinity fudge is actually a candy with a texture closer to Turkish Delight, marshmallow or a very soft nougat.  Its origin, well the first appearance of a recipe, can be traced back to 1902 and the Corn Products Refining Company with their introduction of Karo corn syrup.  Supposedly the taste was said to be “Divine!”, and the name stuck.  This candy is made by cooking sugar and corn syrup together until firm, then beating egg whites into it.  Add-ins can be nuts, chocolate, coconut, and candied fruit, but since pecans are the most popular, it is often called “Southern candy”.  Replacing white sugar with brown sugar, plus adding vinegar and baking soda, results in a confection called "sea foam"; a crunchy, airy candy similar to meringues.

Will fudge be on the holiday sharing list this year?  Only Santa Claus knows for sure.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Microwave Baking, Does It Work?

Microwaves, for home use, became popular from the 1970s to the 1980s.  At that time, they were large, bulky, heavy, and cooking food properly was hit or miss.  Nowadays, they seem to be a standard in every residential home, apartment, business office, and fast-food chains.  They have become more compact, easier to carry, take up less room on the counter, and definitely more efficient.

Back in, oh around 1989, I purchased a microwave cooking set put out by Tupperware. It was stackable bowls in which a complete meal, including dessert, could be cooked around the same time as your favorite sitcom show.  Unfortunately, unless the included cookbook was used, making other types of recipes was again, hit or miss.  After a while, the set was boxed up, placed on a shelf and forgotten about.  Oh, I still have it, as you never know when the gas range will go kaput, and eating out is, also, not an option.

 

 

How do microwaves cook food exactly?  According to a 1999 article, by Scientific American, and I quote, “"A microwave oven cooks food because the water molecules inside it absorb the microwave radiation and thereby heat up and heat the surrounding food. The microwaves cause water molecules to vibrate; the increased friction between the molecules results in heat.”  Basically, after getting those molecules a rocking and rolling, the food, or recipe ingredients, cook from the inside outward.  That is why, sometimes, the center will be fully done, or even well done, while the food closer to the container sides is not completely cooked.

Often, I have seen recipes regarding baking cake in a microwave, mainly inside a ceramic mug.  In fact, you can purchase a kit, of pre-measured ingredients, mix in the mug, microwave, and “wallah!”, dessert.  Maybe I am microwave challenged, but these kits did not work for me; usually ended up with a gooey, inedible mess.

So, when I recently found a recipe, to bake an entire chocolate cake, in a microwave, I was intrigued, but hesitant.  Why?  I have been working so hard to learn “bake from scratch” which, in turn, has been teaching me patience.  What if this recipe fails?  Will it set me back in acquired baking skills, and lead to frustration instead of patience?  These, and other questions, would be answered, same bat time, same bat channel…if you do not get the reference, we certainly cannot be friends.

Ovens cook/bake using Fahrenheit, or Celsius (metric) units which is basically temperature increase or decrease, under standard atmospheric pressure.  Microwaves, however, work using wattage which is electrical energy transferred over time.  While ovens are standardized, microwaves are not; cooking speed increases dependent on the power (wattage) of the microwave.  So, when using a microwave-based recipe, results will not be the same if using a wattage different from what the recipe states, if it states one at all, and most do not.

 

Back to the chocolate cake; the list of ingredients, and directions, were simple, so decided to give it a try.  The author did not list what size microwave used, so my baking time actually doubled from the time indicated.  Other than that, the cake itself came out moist, not too dense, and pretty tasty by itself.  Of course, after adding on the frosting, it was even better.

Happily, my baking skills were not challenged, nor diminished, and my learning of patience continued.

Does microwave baking work?  Trial and error, and patience, will give the answer.

 

 

 

5-Minute Chocolate Cake

(Youtube Channel - Emma’s Goodies)

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

½ cup + 1 Tbsp. oil or melted butter

1¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. warm water

Method

Prepare your dish (microwave-safe container, around 9- to 10-inches in size) by lining with parchment paper, then greasing and lightly flouring the inside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl.

Stir in the sugar (I used a combination of brown and white sugar for more flavor).

Add the oil followed by the water and combine using a whisk.

Pour into your prepared dish and microwave 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate

1 Tbsp. shortening

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

½ tsp. vanilla

Method

In a small saucepan melt chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add boiling water to make a spreadable consistency.

Mary Cokenour

 

American Chocolate Week.

According to one of those “everyday is a sort of holiday” sites, the week of March 19 – March 25, 2023 is American Chocolate Week.  I wish I could give you an exact date on when this “holiday” came into existence.  However, there happens to be a celebration of chocolate, whether worldwide, national, or one particular country altogether, since it was first created.

It began, according to written history, in the 15^th century when explorers from Europe, mainly Spain, came to the new world.  The Mayans were using cocoa beans to create a drink, but the explorers mistook them as almonds.  Bringing them back to Europe, those who ate the beans were given a huge dose of “bitter almonds”, but thankfully, not of cyanide.

As explorers continued into other countries, throughout South America, sources for the cocoa beans were found.  The local native populations were able to teach the explorers how to process the beans, and create a drink.  Good thing sugar cane was also discovered within the Caribbean Isles, and this helped sweeten the bitter concoction.

Cooks, in various countries, played with the beans by adding, not just sugar, but flavorings, and begin to create chocolate candies, confections and baked goods.  In 1904,  

How to Cook for the Sick and Convalescent, by Helena Viola Sachse, was published and it contained recipes for chocolate drinks that would help ease symptoms of illnesses and diseases.  Can chocolate really heal the sick?  Medically speaking, no; but it does have a sort of mind-altering affect that is soothing, and simply makes us feel happy.  When it comes to illness, do we not often hear that attitude goes a long way in the healing process?

Easter will soon be celebrated, and chocolate is a huge bonus gifted to children, but adults indulge just as well.  Oh yes, hard boiled eggs, with colored shells, go into baskets; however, peanut butter or coconut cream eggs are so much tastier, in my opinion.  Of course they are, they are encased in chocolate!

So here is a short recipe I tried recently for 3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cookies.  They are sort of like meringues, but baked at a higher temperature, and chewy. I had a few guinea pigs try them out, with reservations on the “only 3 ingredients” theme, but the consensus was, “so good!”.  By the way, since they are flourless, those with gluten allergies can enjoy them; and confectioner sugar substitute products (Swerve or Truvia) can be used for regular powdered sugar.  This recipe also does not contain any type of fat or dairy, and since many vegetarians eat eggs, the egg whites are acceptable, especially as a source of protein.

3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cookies

 Ingredients:

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar, or a substitute product

4 large egg whites

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F, line two baking pan/sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and powdered sugar to evenly combine, and break up any lumps.  Whisk in egg whites until batter is smooth.  The batter will also be gooey and sticky, so have a rubber spatula ready to help remove batter from the whisk.

Using a cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, space out, 2-inches apart, 12 rounded out portions onto each baking pan/sheet.  That rubber spatula will come in handy for removing the batter from the scoop or spoon.  Bake for 14 – 18 minutes; cookies are done when they are puffed up, have a shiny, yet crusty surface.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool off completely on the baking pans/sheets.  If you remove while still, even slightly, warm, they will fall apart.

 The first two days, the cookies will be crunchy on the outside, but chewy on the inside.  By the 3^rd day, the outside will still be crunchy, the interior will be gooier, but still delicious.  So, storage is basically 3 days in an airtight container, but they will not last that long.

Recipe makes two dozen cookies.

Mary Cokenour